Dept. of Energy: Withdraw $182M Federal Loan Guarantee for Plastic Burning
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm
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The U.S. Department of Energy just announced $182 million of Inflation Reduction Act funding meant for climate solutions will go to burning plastic waste.
The money has been conditionally promised for a yet-to-be constructed facility in Erie, Pennsylvania, that would accept 160,000 tons of plastic waste per year. The company, International Recycling Group, says they intend to recycle as much as they can - and turn the rest into fuel to be burned in an unnamed steel mill in northwest Indiana. What's worse, the facility would bring more diesel truck traffic through a low-income community and create a fire risk.
Plastic recycling has been an abysmal failure, so it is safe to assume that most of these waste plastics will be burned. Burning plastic as a solution to managing waste is widely recognized as harmful. When plastic is burned, it releases toxic chemicals and pollutants into the air. These include dioxins, furans, and other hazardous substances that pose serious health risks to humans and animals. Inhalation of these pollutants can lead to respiratory problems, cardiovascular issues, and even cancer. Burning plastic contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide and methane. These gasses contribute to climate change and exacerbate global warming, harming ecosystems and communities worldwide.
Less than 6% of plastic waste in the U.S. is recycled, according to the Department of Energy's own data. The plastic pollution crisis is a global environmental justice issue that threatens clean air, water, wildlife, and quality of life for millions of people. Plastics, due to their durability and widespread use, have become pervasive in our environment, from the deepest ocean trenches to remote wilderness areas.
The United States plays a significant role in this crisis. The U.S. is one of the largest producers and consumers of plastic products globally. The sheer volume of plastic waste generated from fossil fuels in the U.S. contributes significantly to the global plastic pollution problem. Instead of backing a polluting, expensive plastic burning project, these taxpayer dollars would be much better spent investing in real solutions to the interwoven climate change and plastics pollution crises.
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To:
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm
From:
[Your Name]
**Petition Title: Plastic Is Not the New Coal **
We, the undersigned, strongly urge you to withdraw $182 million in federal loan guarantees for International Recycling Group's proposed facility in Erie, Pennsylvania, which promotes the false solutions of plastic recycling and plastic burning to solve the global plastic pollution crisis. These approaches are fundamentally flawed and fail to address the root causes and environmental impacts associated with plastic waste.
1. Environmental Harm: Burning plastic in steel mills would release toxic pollutants known to cause cancer and respiratory ailments, contributing to poor air quality and health risks for communities. Further, burning plastic as a waste management strategy does nothing to reduce the harm to communities, the climate, and the environment caused by manufacturing plastics from fossil fuels.
2. Environmental Justice: This facility would bring more heavy diesel trucks through a low-income neighborhood every day. It will also be a fire safety risk. The “CleanRed” plastic waste product would be shipped to and burned in steel mills, generating air pollution in other communities that are likely to be environmental justice communities.
3. Ineffectiveness: The Department of Energy's own data tells us that plastic recycling rates are abysmally low, less than 6%, due to technical challenges, the presence of toxic chemicals in plastics and a lack of markets for recycled plastics. As U.S. plastic production from fossil fuels increases year over year, throwing even more money at recycling will not improve the pollution crisis.
4. A Waste of Money: Spending crucial climate funds from the Inflation Reduction Act on plastic burning diverts resources away from effective solutions like reducing plastic production, redesigning products and packaging to be plastic free, investing in reuse and refill systems, and replacing plastic with materials that can be effectively recycled.
Therefore, we urge DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm to:
1. Immediately withdraw the $182 million federal loan guarantee for International Recycling Group's Erie, Pennnsylvania project.
2. Allocate that money for projects that promote waste reduction, reuse, and innovation in plastic-free materials rather than perpetuating the flawed cycles of plastic recycling and burning.
By signing this petition, we call for the federal government to put people over plastics.
[Your Signature]
[Date]